title: Functional study of glutamate receptor channels in brain slices.
abstract: Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS). Glutamate binds to and activates receptors coupled to both ligand-gated ion channels (ionotropic) and G proteins (metabotropic). The ionotropic glutamate receptors are permeable to cations, including Ca(2+), whereas metabotropic glutamate receptors can trigger the release of Ca(2+) from intracellular stores. Therefore the activation of glutamate receptors can increase cytoplasmic Ca(2+) levels, resulting in the activation of a variety of Ca(2+)-dependent processes. An increase in intracellular Ca(2+) in brain cells is potentially neurotoxic and has been linked to many neurodegenerative disorders and neuronal cell death. Antagonists of glutamate-receptor channels have previously been shown to reduce the neurotoxic damage in a variety of animal models of neurological disorders. Because of the link between glutamate receptors, Ca(2+) signaling, and neuronal death, elucidating the molecular mechanistic details of these processes will be crucial to understanding the pathology of various neurodegenerative diseases.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Signal Transduction, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Yakel